Hyundai is readying itself for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa after its UK branch launched the official Hyundai Goodwill Ball.

The South Korean manufacturer is the official automotive partner of the tournament, and with just five weeks to go until it kicks off, it has created 32 four-metre balls for each of the qualifying nations.

Once each giant ball is delivered to its respective country, the manufacturers hope fans, officials and players will sign them with their good luck messages.

England’s Goodwill Ball will be taken on a nationwide tour, including visits to West Ham’s Upton Park, before being flown over to Johannesburg for the tournament’s opening ceremony.

Tony Whitehorn, managing director of Hyundai Motor UK said: "We’re delighted to be part of this great global even and hope that our friends at West Ham will bring good luck in South Africa."

The World Cup begins June 11th, and England first group game against the USA is scheduled for the following day.

Hyundai is readying itself for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa after its UK branch launched the official Hyundai Goodwill Ball.

The South Korean manufacturer is the official automotive partner of the tournament, and with just five weeks to go until it kicks off, it has created 32 four-metre balls for each of the qualifying nations.

Once each giant ball is delivered to its respective country, the manufacturers hope fans, officials and players will sign them with their good luck messages.

England’s Goodwill Ball will be taken on a nationwide tour, including visits to West Ham’s Upton Park, before being flown over to Johannesburg for the tournament’s opening ceremony.

Tony Whitehorn, managing director of Hyundai Motor UK said: "We’re delighted to be part of this great global even and hope that our friends at West Ham will bring good luck in South Africa."

The World Cup begins June 11th, and England first group game against the USA is scheduled for the following day.

The results of an Auto Express customer satisfaction and reliability survey have revealed Hyundai i30 as the winner.

Over 23,000 drivers took part in the Driver Power poll, and the Hyundai’s flagship model took the title from last year’s winner, the Jaguar XF.

It’s the first time in nine years that Korean manufacturer has claimed the coveted award.

Auto Express editor in chief David Johns said: "Congratulations to Hyundai. This is a huge breakthrough for the brand. Over the years, owners have told us what good value its cars are. This is the final proof that Hyundais can now match that with real all-round reliability and satisfaction."

Respondents voted across a variety of categories, and there was good news for Skoda as they won best overall manufacturer, with their Octavia model coming third in the customer satisfaction survey.

The Toyota Prius was voted the most reliable and won the ease of driving category, while the Fiat Panda was the winner in the running costs category.

More than 1.6 million Prius cars have been sold since the first generation model was launched in 1997.

Hyundai will offer a variety of new special edition add-ons to selected models in the new year.

The company says that the new variants of its i10, i20 and i30 models will combine stylish looks with great driving characteristics and comfort.

New features of the flagship of Hyundai’s Edition range, the i30, will include a modified front grille, hexagonal air intake and sculpted fog lamps, plus side skirts and a new rear bumper incorporating twin exhaust trims.

Priced at £13,400, the Hyundai is also a reasonable choice but incorporates nice features such as sports pedals, electric heated door mirrors, and a six-speaker stereo-radio CD player with Aux and USB connections and steering wheel audio controls.

To celebrate being named official automotive sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Hyundai recently decided to tour Europe with 33 specially-designed vehicles – decorating 32 of the i30 cars with the qualifying countries’ national colours.

One well-known car manufacturer has produced more than Hyundai car spares recently, as it celebrating sponsoring the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

To mark the event’s qualifying stages, the brand has decided to tour Europe with 33 specially designed vehicles.

Hyundai has taken the decision to decorate 32 of the i30 cars with the qualifying countries’ national colours.

South Africa will play host to next year’s event of which Hyundai has been crowned the official Automotive partner.

Hyundai’s tour has gone around a number of the brand’s retailers across Europe, coming across thousands of football fans on its route.

Yesterday (November 30th) the tour made a stop-off at Chelmsford Hyundai and was greeted by football fan, Bill Cook.

He said: "I’ll be supporting England next June and hoping that we can bring the cup back home."

Hyundai states that following its i30 launch the brand has made the decision that all of its future models will bear the ‘i’ prefix – standing for intelligence, inspiration and integrity.

One car manufacturer has come over sentimental in its latest efforts to raise funds for Children in Need.

Bill Cook, who owns the Chelmsford Hyundai dealership, decided to save a Morris Minor Traveller and put it up for auction to raise money for the cause.

Now set to appear for sale on eBay, the car was originally destined for the scrap heap when a customer came in to relinquish the motor under the government’s scrappage scheme.

The vehicle is a 1098cc version of the estate model which is said to have copied classic American cars due to bearing a wood-framed rear end.

It has Rose Taupe paint combined with a red interior and was first registered on June 27th 1967, currently reading 77,000 miles on the clock.

The vehicle has been given the once over by a representative from the Morris Minor Owners’ Club (MMOC) and will be issued with an MOT due to expire in November of next year. The auction is set to end on November 27th.

According to the MMOC it currently boasts 14,500 members.

Hyundai recently carried out an exercise to highlight to journalists the benefits of driving a new car.

The company gave them an old Rover to drive for the day, following news that the manufacturer had been one of the most "requested on the Hyundai press fleet."

Some of the bangers were abandoned by the journalists as they could not cope with the full journey.

Richard Aucock was responsible for the most successful of the banger rides, completing over 500 miles in a Maestro. He said: "It wasn’t tortuous but it was different to a nice modern car.

"All the sensations were so different – the choke, the smell of petrol, needing arm muscles to turn the wheel."

He added that having no central locking was an issue as he kept forgetting about it, leaving the car exposed to theft. The fact that there was not a crash surprised the reporter, as the heavy steering and low gears made driving conditions difficult.

For every 100 miles driven, Hyundai donated £20 to Women On the Move Against Cancer (WOMAC).

The charity was established in 1979 and is comprised of more than 65 female volunteers who have careers in, or related to, the motor industry.

Hyundai intends to become a world leader when it comes to producing electric cars.

The manufacturer is due to unveil a battery-powered i10 at this month’s Frankfurt International Motor Show.

It revealed the model has a range of 99.4 mph and can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 15 seconds.

The vehicle uses lithium ion polymer batteries and to charge the auto fully takes five hours.

Production is due to get underway in Korea in 2010.

Commenting on the future of the model, product planning manager Hans-Ulrich Goebel stated: "We believe there will be a big market [for the i10 Electric] but the European market is not there yet."

Meanwhile, Hyundai spokesman Thomas Burkle said: "We aim to become world leaders in this field."

In other news, it was recently revealed the manufacturer sold more cars to UK retail customers last month than any other company, overtaking both Vauxhall and Ford.

A forthcoming Hyundai is apparently equipped with car parts able to provide "unrivalled power and economy".

The ix35 is due to be revealed at next months’ Frankfurt Motor Show and according to the manufacturer will replace the currently available Tucson sports utility vehicle (SUV).

It will deliver better fuel efficiency, lower carbon emissions and therefore cost the owner less to run than other SUVs on the market, with refined powertrain technology and sleeker styling, Hyundai added.

This is contributes to improved aerodynamics and potential buyers could find it a more interesting alternative to rivals.

"Distinctive" was the word used by the company to describe the motor and it went on to explain "design cues seen on ix35 will be carried over to other new Hyundai models, most notably the pronounced hexagonal grille, which will become a recognisable family attribute".

Interested car enthusiasts can catch up on all of the events of the Frankfurt event during its run from September 15th to 27th.

Certain Hyundai car parts and systems make the manufacturer’s i20 model ideal for learner drivers, it has been suggested.

The company made this claim after announcing it was to supply an instructor college with some of its vehicles.

Bill Plant Driving School has already received 60 i20s and is due to increase its fleet with another 500 examples of the car over the next 12 months.

Hyundai suggested the fact the auto comes with active head-restraints, six airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners and reminders, as well as ESP, makes it an excellent choice for novice motorists.

It explained ESP is particularly useful as it helps the person behind the wheel retain control in slippery conditions.

Commenting on the i20, Ron Danby from Bill Plant Driving School stated: "It’s a pleasure to teach in and the peace of mind of the safety features reassures both pupil and teacher."

In other news, the Hyundai i10 was the ninth most popular model in the UK last month.